Read the Poem That Inspired 'Noah,' Written by a 13-Year-Old Darren Aronofsky

Darren Aronofsky is getting lots of positive buzz for his biblical epic Noah, but the filmmaker is also sharing the spotlight with an inspiration from his past – his seventh grade English teacher, who inspired him to become a writer.

Aronofsky says Vera Fried encouraged him to become a writer when he was just 13 years old. “She said, 'When you write your first book, dedicate it to me.'” The filmmaker did just that, acknowledging his former teacher in the coffee-table tome about the film.

That wasn’t all he did – Aronofsky also gave Fried two small parts in the film, and brought her to the premiere to bask in the glow of celebrity. Fried seems excited about her newfound stardom, although she says she didn’t find Russell Crowe as hot as Anthony Hopkins.

The funniest part of the story is that Fried had no idea her former student had become one of Hollywood’s most sought-after directors. “I didn’t hear from him for 33 years, and then he sent me the unpunctuated e-mail.” Ever the English teacher…

Fried, who is now retired and lives in Florida, did one last favor for her former student – she read a poem by the young Aronofsky. The piece in question, entitled The Dove, not only won a contest back in 1982, but served as the inspiration for Noah. For something written by a 13-year-old kid, it’s pretty good.

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